The South Burlington City Council voted 4-1 late Monday to tell the U.S. Air Force it does not want the new F-35 fighter jet based at Burlington International Airport, the first community to formally oppose the project.

"We judged there were severe negative repercussions for the City of South Burlington and that's what we based our decision on," said Rosanne Greco, Council Chairwoman. She said community feedback she had received since the vote had "been all positive."

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The U.S. Air Force placed Burlington on a short list of 'preferred' locations for a fleet of new F-35s, which would replace the aging F-16 jets now at the Vermont Air Guard base at BTV.

The Pentagon is now accepting public comment and expects to make a final decision in November.

Many of Vermont's statewide leaders, including Gov. Peter Shumlin and Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, have moved quickly to embrace the F-35 project, noting the long-term employment the new mission would sustain at the Air Guard base.

But the military's own environmental impact study confirms the new jet is substantially louder than the F-16, and that alarms many residents living in the tightly-packed neighborhoods surrounding the suburban airport.

The study suggests several thousand additional residents could be subjected to expanded noise levels from the F-35 that the Federal Aviation Administration deems "incompatible with residential use."

Greco said statewide leaders clearly hadn't spent much time visiting already affected neighborhoods. "We have residents saying they can't stand the noise. They can't sell their houses. They feel they're living in a slum of a ghetto. I'm sure the powers that be aren't aware of that," she said.

"I was really disappointed," Richards said. "We're a community that should work together and again South Burlington is choosing not to work with their community."

In neighboring Winooski, more than 6,000 residents live under the flight path.

The Winooski City Council has taken no position yet for or against the F-35, but adopted a unanimous resolution Monday night asking the military for much more information on the noise projections, its impact on human health, and on the economic desirability of the city's newly-revitalized downtown center.

Mayor Michael O'Brien acknowledged he has more questions than answers.

"If these planes come here is there some way to mitigate the soundso it doesn't increase from what we now have?"

O'Brien and City Manager Katherine Decarreau met privately Tuesday afternoon with senior leadership at the Vermont Air Guard to try to clarify some of the concerns raised by residents the night before.

Greco, who retired after 30 years in active duty in the Air Force, acknowledged the growing divisions. She said she, like many Vermonters, have deep respect for the capabilities and professionalism of the men and women of the Vermont Guard.

"But I don't think this aircraft is the way to say thank you to them. I think many people look at it like that. Many people say you're not patriotic is you don't support this weapons system," she said. "But the wisest choice would be to say this is not the aircraft for this area at this time."